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Jul
10
Second Death in Bocas Province; Travel Advisory Issued
Posted by Editor | July 10, 2010 | Tags: Government and Politics, Transport | Comments Off
 Clashes have been reported today at Finca 4 and Finca 13. Photo courtesy of La Prensa |
La Prensa is reporting that a second person has died as a result of protests near Changuinola in Bocas Province, Panama.
According to the director of the Changuinola Hospital, Thusnelda Cruz, 123 persons have been admitted to the hospital for treatment of injuries as a result of the protests.
Meanwhile our friends over at Caribe Shuttle have let us know that the US Embassy in Panama has now issued a travel advisory for traveling to or from Bocas del Toro while noting that the islands themselves are calm. The travel advisory reads:
Bulletin from Bocas Warden
To those hotels/hostels this email sent to, please inform you guests.
Today, Friday 9 June: It is not a good idea to travel to, near or thru Changuinola or mainland Bocas Del Toro Provincia. It is not a safe to be in this area, and there are road blockages preventing transit, due to protests between Panamanians and their government.
If you need to travel from Isla Bocas to anywhere, it is advised that you leave only by air, to Panama City, David or San Jose, Costa Rica. Either, remain in Isla Bocas until the protests end, or change you travel arrangements accordingly.
When it is save to travel by boat/road from Isla Bocas, an advisory will be sent.
At 7pm, Friday 9 July: Per Isla Bocas Alcalde, Joe Anderson, and Isla Bocas Hospital Emergency, Dr Luis Mou, condition in Isla Bocas is very normal, no problems reported.
Larry Shane
Bocas Warden, US Embassy Panama
The land route between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro remains closed leaving the only transport option the three times weekly Nature Air flights from San José.
Travelers who have already booked shuttle transport from Costa Rica’s Caribbean to Bocas should contact their travel agency.
Jul
8
Strike in Panama Paralyzes Transportation to / from Bocas del Toro
Posted by Editor | July 8, 2010 | Tags: Transport | 1 Comment
 Banana Workers setting roadblocks near Changuinola. Photo courtesy of La Prensa |
Travelers are out of luck if they are trying to go to or from Bocas del Toro, Panama, or want to use the Costa Rica / Panama border crossing at Sixaola / Guyabito / Changuinola on the Caribbean Coast. Just over the border in Panama is one of a reported 11 sites where local banana plantation workers are striking and erecting road barricades.
In addition to the clash at the border, road barricades near Chiriqui Grande will keep travelers from getting to Bocas del Toro or gettting away from Bocas del Toro in that direction. For now, options appear to be by sea or air, or travelors can walk, but a VERY long way and around reportedly angry mobs with machetes, axes and rocks and police in riot gear and tear gas launchers! We do not recommend it.
Another strike of 700 workers in the province of Colon is paralyzing work on the Panama Canal extension.
These strikes are the latest in a series of strikes which date back to the government of ex-President Mireya Moscoso Martín Torrijos revolves around labor law and criminal codes which were voted into law in September 2009. Panama’s current administration reportedly stands by the laws, claiming they will encourage development and bring investment.
So far, the government of Panama has responded by sending military to the 11 strike sites throughout Bocas Del Toro and Colon. With 28 current arrests, the threat of escalation, and the local report that strikers won’t stop till the president comes (who is reportedly in Italy), no end is in sight.
At the moment, the strike has frozen all traffic between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro, Panama. This effectively cancels the shuttle routes between Costa Rica South Caribbean and Bocas del Toro.
The Talamanca News will continue to monitor the situation. Please watch for updates here. Shuttles will start operating from Puerto Viejo to/from Bocas again as soon as it is safe to do so.
 Article by John Wheatley. John is a long time resident of Costa Rica’s Caribbean and owner of Adventuras Bravas, providing surf classes and adventure tours, and Caribe Shuttle, providing transport to/from Bocas del Toro in Panama. More information at www.caribeshuttle.com |
Jun
30
Cahuita Holding Festival to Honor Calypso Artist Walter Ferguson
Posted by Editor | June 30, 2010 | Tags: Arts & Culture, Community Calendar | Comments Off
| July 5, 2010 | to | July 18, 2010 |
From July 5 to July 18, Cahuita will present a festival named after renowned Calypso artist Walter Ferguson.
The “Festival de la Cultura y el Ambiente Walter Ferguson” will take place from July 5-18 at various locations around Cahuita and will honor one of Cahuita’s favorite sons with music, theater, dance and poetry. Ferguson sometimes called the King of Calypso is known for songs such as Cabin in the Wata and Callaloo. The festival is expected to become an annual event.
The highlight of the festival is expected to be a Calypso concert at Cahuita’s Central Park on Saturday July 10 starting at 4pm. As well as local Cahuita performers, the concert will feature musicians from Limon and Puerto Viejo.
Download complete festival program. Download festival poster.
Jun
29
Route 31 Closed Again This Morning and Thursday
Posted by Editor | June 29, 2010 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
Once again, route 31 through Parque Nacional Barulio Carrillo, will be closed again this morning from 6:30a.m. to 12:30pm and again on Thursday morning. The route which is the most direct link between San Jose and Limon has been plagued by mudslides.
The highways ministry has brought in experts from Spain to evaluate the route and this requires its closure.
So cars, buses and trucks will again be routed via Turrialba, which will add at least an hour extra to your trip.
Jun
24
Puerto Viejo gettting a new road
Posted by Manuel | June 24, 2010 | Tags: Community News, Transport | 11 Comments
If you have lived more then just a few months in Puerto Viejo over the past 10 years, I’ll bet you can’t count on your own 2 hands and feet the number of times that we have heard the good news: the road will be fixed soon! Yet….time after time, it never happened, and the road has just kept on getting worse and worse – to the point where it has become downright embarrassing, dangerous and for some – costly!
When the residents scream enough and protest to the local municipality, we sometimes got the potholes filled with material from the nearby Sixaola River, only to watch it get washed away in the next downpour and the potholes getting bigger and deeper each time.
As a local resident and owner of a vehicle, I can personally attest that our biggest expense is THE CAR….and I am not talking about the gas! With horrible roads, it is impossible to stay away from the numerous highly trustworthy and knowledgeable mechanics – on average monthly! I could easily say that I have had to revise, update or change most parts of my suspension at least 4 times a year – every year!
A few days ago an unbelievable site appeared from the horizons: a caravan of heavy-duty road building equipment rolled in through Puerto Viejo, past Cocles, past Playa Chiquita, through Punta Uva and down to Manzanillo….”could it be” we thought to ourselves?
The answer is mostly yes! As it turns out, they are redoing the road (in reverse order from Manzanillo towards Puerto Viejo), with the best material and thickness these roads have ever seen. Unlike the first coat from 10 years ago which was a mix of gravel and tar, this time, we are getting a full 5 cm of hot asphalt…compressed and rolled on top of the bad road. Upon speaking to the “engineers” on the side of the road, we are learning that they are fixing only the stretches that need it most, and supposedly they will return in “about a month” to do the remaining (that part is the remaining mystery!) We don;t know what the final product will be….but at least we already know what we are seeing: The new road is slightly narrow…and leaves very little room for bicycles or pedestrians – in fact cars will even have to slow down when oncoming traffic is approaching – but a mostly smooth ride should be expected from Puerto Viejo down to Manzanillo.
While most, including myself, are thrilled to have a new road, there is also a new fear that the tourists and our children will be less safe walking or bicycling on the road, as drivers a will be tempted to drive “super fast”.
In an ideal world – we would love to see some bike lanes or trails and speed bumps along the way……perhaps this is something our local community can work towards!
Drive safely!
 Article by Manuel Pinto. Manuel, along with his wife Emmanuelle, are long time residents of Costa Rica’s Caribbean and owners of Caribe Sur Real Estatem a full service real estate company on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, assisting clients to buy or sell eco-friendly properties and businesses to people from around the world. More information at www.caribesur-realestate.com |
Jun
6
Clandestine minining operation discovered in the Talamanca mountains
Posted by Editor | June 6, 2010 | Tags: Crime & Punishment, Environment | Comments Off
Residents of the indigenous Bri Bri reservation in the Talamanca Mountains have discovered evidence of clandestine mineral exploration.
The community sent an expedition of 8 persons to investigate after the community noticed a helicopter entering the area. They found evidence including a landing zone for the helicopter, a camp and core samples taken. A second expedition returned to the area with cameras and three policemen from Bri Bri.
The area is very difficult to access, with no roads, only footpaths used by the indigenous Bri Bri.
Analysis of the photos by experts has confirmed that a exploratory visit by miners was the point of the visit.
The area has been known since the 70s to have high potential for mineral exploration. But the Asociación de Desarrollo de la Reserva Indígena Bribri–Talamanca (Aditibri), which owns the land, is opposed to mining.
Source, photos and video: La Nación: Indígenas descubren minería clandestina en Talamanca
May
31
San Jose – Limon Highway 32 Reopens 24 Hours a Day
Posted by Editor | May 31, 2010 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
The highways ministry (MOPT) has announced that Highway 32, the main route linking the capital with the Caribbean Coast, will now be open again 24 hours a day, weather permitting.
Travel had been restricted to daylight hours so that police and others stationed there could see landslides starting and halt traffic.
The 24 year old highway is frequently closed due to mudslides leading to criticisms of the way the road was initially planned and built. When the road is closed, residents, tourists and the large amount of truck traffic bound for the port in Limon are forced to take the safer but very slow and winding route via Turrialba which adds 1 to 2 hours to the trip.
This aerial photo from MOPT shows clearly how vulnerable the road is to slides.
May
30
Cahuita Police Officers Receive 72 Year Sentences
Posted by Editor | May 30, 2010 | Tags: Crime & Punishment | Comments Off
 Two police officers are arrested in June 2008. Photo by Mario Rojas courtesy of La Nacion |
On Thursday, former Cahuita police officers Wálter Angulo Durán and Jorge Jiménez Saldaña were each sentenced to 72 years in prison for their role in two murders which occurred in June 2008.
Two other men, Mauricio Ocampo Cordero and Johansy Mora Rojas, were previously convicted and sentenced to 70 years each for the actual murders.
Angulo and Jiménez, the policemen, used their authority to round up four young men in Cahuita. With drawn guns they confronted the four in the local park, tied them up and eventually delivered them to members of a rival drug gang in Valle de las Estrellas, also on the Caribbean coast, according to testimony. Ocampo and Mora took a knife to their hostages. Two, Roy Sotela Prendergast, 23, and Natanael Rodríguez Obregón, 17, died. Another man suffered serious injuries. A fourth man fled and survived.
May
20
Earthquake Shakes Costa Rica
Posted by Editor | May 20, 2010 | Tags: Accidents and Natural Disasters | Comments Off
Everyone’s talking about it in Puerto Viejo – the earthquake that shook Costa Rica at 4:16pm today.
The earthquake was reported to be of magnitude 6.1 on the Richter scale and the epicenter was 30km southwest of Quepos in the Pacific Ocean.
While the earthquake was felt in many places in Costa Rica including the Caribbean Coast there are no reports of injuries or significant damage.
More: La Nación: ‘Ojalá todos estén bien’, dice Laura Chinchilla tras sismo de 6,1 grados
May
18
Free Ice Cream!
Posted by Editor | May 18, 2010 | Tags: Community Calendar, Helping Out | Comments Off
| May 22, 2010 | ||
| 9:00 am |
Project Green Jungle is having a beach cleanup this Saturday on Playa Negra.
They meet at Caribeans Coffee at 9am. Free ice cream for all participants courtesy of Caribeans!
Help the environment and treat your tummy!
You can get more details and confirm your attendance on their facebook event page.
May
17
Government Posts Rules on Extending Tourist Entry
Posted by Editor | May 17, 2010 | Tags: Government and Politics | Comments Off
 Bocas del Toro will continue to benefit from tourists to Costa Rica needing to leave the country for a few days |
A new law passed recently (Ley Migración 8487) opened the possibility of tourists who wish to stay more than 90 days in Costa Rica extending their stay by applying at an immigration office and paying a fee of $100.
The old rules required tourists who wanted to stay longer than 90 days to leave the country for at least 72 hours. For those who wintered in Puerto Viejo that usually meant a trip over the border to Bocas del Toro in Panama for a few days.
The immigration department has now posted rules on how this program will work in practice and what documentation is required.
The new law states that “Las personas extranjeras autorizadas para ingresar al país y permanecer en él bajo la categoría migratoria de turista, por un plazo inferior a noventa días, tendrán la posibilidad de prorrogar su permanencia”. In other words that persons who entered under the tourist category with a period of less than 90 days are able to apply to extend their stay.
The bureaucrats in charge of implementing the program seemed to have interpreted the law in the most restrictive possible manner such that the change will be effectively useless for the majority of tourists. The have indicated that the language will be strictly applied and that the extensions will only be available to those who received less than 90 days on their initial entry whereas most North Americans are automatically granted a 90 day stay when they enter the country. As such, they will not qualify for the extension.
As well as the $100 fee, the government will also require a long list of documentation to accompany the application, including a certified copy of the person’s ticket to leave the country and a copy of the passport translated into Spanish.
And so it seems likely the over the border runs to Bocas will continue.
The full rules are available here.
May
16
Reef Runners: Expanding Your World
Posted by Zoë | May 16, 2010 | Tags: Local Business News, Tourism | Comments Off
It’s a little disappointing but we have to face it: humans cannot fly without the aid of a flying contraption.
But if you’ve ever wanted to know what it feels like to swoop, hover and move in 3 dimensions there is a way to experience that: Learn to dive.
Underwater you can move like a bird moves in the sky…you can hover, swoop, nosedive…actually you can also do a few things birds rarely do – like back flips, cartwheels and lie motionless on your back viewing fish above you.
The feeling of diving is an exhilarating sense of freedom and conversely deeply calming – a feeling quite incomparable to those we experience in our everyday lives. Imagine yourself moving in slow three dimensional motion, with the sound of your breath and the static of the water as accompanying rhythms.
Of course it’s not only about freedom of movement and different sensory perceptions: as most divers will tell you, it’s about discovering a different world. And that underwater world is beautiful, fascinating, stunning in its diversity and just off the beaches of this coast. You could say that the difference between snorkeling and diving is that the snorkeler remains an observer and the diver becomes a participant. Below the surface you become part of that underwater world and that is a thrill in itself.
It’s easy to become enthusiastic about diving before you’ve even tried it when you listen to Robin (Dive Master), Jessica (Dive Master) and Esteban (Instructor) describing diving with turtles, getting up close and personal with multicolored tropical fish, sponges and healthy coral reefs. Robin, Esteban, Jessica and Austin are passionate about what they do and they are the team that form Reef Runners.
Reef Runners was the first dive shop in Puerto Viejo, opening in 1997, so Reef Runners have been exploring the local reefs for 13 years now. One of two operating dive shops in this area Reef Runners has good relations with Punta Uva Dive and the friendly competitors regulate their prices to benefit both customers and operators. The current team run a tight ship at Reef Runners. Professional and efficient they are also approachable and friendly – and passionate about diving! Safety is paramount and equipment is new, maintained in good condition and regularly replaced. Robin, Jessica, Esteban and Austin all agree that the focus at Reef Runners is Customer Service with an emphasis on Quality rather than Quantity – which means that you won’t be one of the masses.
It’s 8.30am at Reef Runners on a Monday morning and the diving conditions are perfect: calm and sunny. The sea is like a bolt of blue silk laid out in front of us as we sip some coffee and prepare to leave for Uli Fish Reef.
There are 10 of us: 2 students taking the Advanced course with Austin (Instructor), 2 students taking the Open Water course with Esteban (Instructor), and a certified diver with his buddy.
The short boat trip is a pleasure in itself … Puerto Viejo from the water looks almost uninhabited. Kitted up, the divers disappear off the boat, returning with enthusiastic reports of great visibility (25 meters), colorful reef and myriad types of tropical fish. (Attention Divers: According to Robin, the best visibility on this coast is usually during May, end of August, all of September and most of October.) It’s been a good dive and we head back for a lunch of pizza and watermelon before the afternoon dive.
Chatting with Esteban and Robin back at Reef Runners (one of the prettiest views in town incidentally) I acknowledge that diving for them is a way of life, but what do they think makes diving special for the rest of us that do it occasionally? Esteban replies: “There are two answers to that: Land and Sea. Most places that offer good recreational diving are also beautiful places with much to offer visitors. And diving, you feel part of the environment you are in, rather than just a spectator. You move within that world rather than observing it from a distance.”
Reef Runners offers the diver plenty of choices:
- All PADI courses from Open Water up to and including Dive Master
- Recreational Dives for Certified Divers: 2 Tank dive including all equipment and lunch: US$ 90
- Discovery Dive: US$ 55
If you still don’t feel like getting up close and personal in the marine sense, Reef Runners offer other treats in and around the ocean: How about Dolphin-spotting off the coast at Manzanillo or taking a Sunset Booze Cruise followed by a beach barbecue? Naturally there are snorkeling trips to be had too: allow the experts to take you to the best spots and en-joy a boat trip too!
Drop by, have a look at their newly updated Tour book and have a chat – with a good soda right next door Reef Runners is a fun place to spend an hour or two.
If now, you’re even just a little bit curious about what it feels like to ‘fly’ underwater, be adventurous and try a Discovery Dive in the clear, warm Caribbean ocean.
Reef Runners can be contacted via their website www.reefrunnerdivers.com, by telephone at +506 2750 0480 or book online through Gecko Trail Adventures at www.GeckoTrail.com/tour.htm?tid=scuba
 Article by Zoë Courtier. Zoë along with her husband Tom Keller are the proprietors of Geckoes Rainforest River Lodge. Two luxurious holiday houses with private plunge pools in a magnificent rainforest and river setting minutes from Playa Cocles. More information at www.geckoeslodge.com |
May
14
Community Fundraiser for Puerto Viejo School
Posted by Editor | May 14, 2010 | Tags: Community Calendar, Helping Out | Comments Off
| May 16, 2010 | ||
| 7:00 pm |
Sunday evening there will be a community fundraiser for the Puerto Viejo School at Loco Natural Restaurant.
The event will feature yummy Loco Natural food (of course), entertainment and raffles. It starts at 7pm.
The funds raise will help the Puerto Viejo school with much needed funds for school repairs and construction.
If you can’t make the event but would like to make a donation and help out, you can do so via the Puerto Viejo Satellite community donation page. Go to the form at the bottom, select Other project and enter “Puerto Viejo School”.
May
14
Census in Panama Sunday will Disrupt Tourist Schedules
Posted by Editor | May 14, 2010 | Tags: Community Calendar, Tourism, Transport | 2 Comments
| May 16, 2010 |
This Sunday, May 16, is census day in Panama.
Panama has an interesting census system that counts the entire country in one day. To do so, the government requires that everyone, even tourists, remain in the building where they slept that night until they are given a document confirming they have already been counted.
If you are in the street, you will be ticketed and possibly arrested and detained until counted. This applies to captains of the boats, drivers of minibuses and tourists, everyone.
As such, the entire country shuts down until this process is complete. Sort of like putting the whole country under house arrest, but is the only practical way for the government to count everyone in one day. Most people should be counted by noon, so that businesses can open and life can return to normal.
Shuttle and boat services from Panama to Puerto Viejo will therefore not operate on Sunday morning so travelers planning to leave that day will have to do so later in the day.
Caribe Shuttle which normally operates a morning service from Bocas del Toro to Puerto Viejo has advised that they will pickup passengers who are booked for that service for their afternoon service instead. Hotel pickups will begin at approximately 1:00pm.
May
6
Video Tours Now on Puerto Viejo Satellite
Posted by Editor | May 6, 2010 | Tags: Site news | Comments Off
The newest feature on the Puerto Viejo Satellite website is video tours for those properties that have them.
Look for the video tour 
icon on the properties detailed listing page (such as Le Cameleon or Banana Azul) or you can see all the hotels with video tours for example on the hotels page by looking for the “See video tour” text.
This is a great way to really experience a place before you and see if it’s right for you.
You can also find all sorts of other videos shot about Puerto Viejo on the Photos, Blogs and Videos page.
If you know of a property which has a video and it is not already listed, please let us know at info@puertoviejosatellite.com. This option is available for all upgraded listings.
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